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Post by skybright on Sept 8, 2007 0:13:38 GMT -5
Daws frowned faintly. "I really don't know for sure. That's what I figured at first -- well, the first thing she did when we met was call me a 'devil cat', so that had a lot to do with it, but . . ." " She lapsed into thoughtful silence for a moment.
"They teach a lot of strange ideas about what mutants are in other countries, yanno." She said at length. "In China they think angry ghosts turn people into mutants to punish their families -- and that's one of the nicer theories I've heard. An idea like that can be a hard thing to get rid of completely, even if you know better."
Daws shrugged one shoulder. "I don't know. Maybe that's got something to do with it. Honestly, I think a lot of it is just her way of tryin' to protect Sid's family." She grinned humorlessly. "Mutants traipsing in and out of the house doesn't exactly make for a safe, sedate lifestyle -- particularly when we're the mutants in question."
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Post by Jordanna on Sept 8, 2007 20:17:22 GMT -5
"That's sure the truth," Joey agreed seriously. He was silent for several moments, frowning thoughtfully, before he spoke again.
"I've been kinda worried about that, too. I mean... Tara and her family run enough risks, with her dad being part of this whole thing. I sorta wonder... if my hanging around 'em could ever put them in any more danger."
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Post by skybright on Sept 8, 2007 21:21:33 GMT -5
Daws glanced gravely at the teenager. "I don't know quite how to answer that, Joey." She admitted quietly. "The fact is, they're never going to be really safe while Tiernan's alive. Even if Sid dropped out of things completely, that wouldn't do anything to keep Nocturne from deciding to . . . to go after them again.
"Maybe the chance to have something kind of like a normal life is worth the risk." She shrugged. "I think what you and Tara have goin' on is good for both of you. I just wish neither one of you had to be involved in all this."
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Post by Jordanna on Sept 8, 2007 21:31:58 GMT -5
"I wish I could talk to her about it," Joey admitted. "I know her dad hasn't really let her in on what's going on--even though I'm sure she guesses some things. It's just... tough. Knowing the big picture, and not being able to figure out how she'd really feel about it, if she knew."
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Post by skybright on Sept 8, 2007 21:38:49 GMT -5
"Yeah." Daws nodded. "Tara's a smart kid. I think sooner or later she's going to stop guessing and start asking questions. But until then . . . " She shrugged. "I guess I can't blame Sid for not telling her -- for wanting her to have as close to a regular life as she can for as long as she can. But I know it's not easy on either one of you."
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Post by Jordanna on Sept 8, 2007 21:44:17 GMT -5
Joey shrugged ruefully. "If I can help take her mind off things... at least there's that."
They were now approaching the steps of the public library, and the teenager sighed thoughtfully, burying his hands in his pockets. "Well, I guess this is where we go to work."
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Post by skybright on Sept 8, 2007 21:51:40 GMT -5
"It is indeed." Daws replied, putting her head back and gazing up at the building's impressive stone edifice. "Here's hoping it does us some good."
She bounded up the steps and pulled the door open for Joey, slipping off her fedora as she did so. "I figure we'll start in the stacks and see if the history books have anything to tell us, then hit the newspaper archives." She grinned crookedly. "After you, sir -- it's your 'paper', after all."
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Post by Jordanna on Sept 8, 2007 22:06:23 GMT -5
Joey rolled his eyes and lolled his tongue out slightly. "Okay, but just remember, I haven't... you know, exactly had any organized classes... since I started working for Tiernan."
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Post by skybright on Sept 8, 2007 22:19:59 GMT -5
Daws snorted. "Hey, we're in the same boat. I've never even seen the inside of a high school." She grinned and led the way into the building, almost instinctively lowering her voice as she did. "'Course I like to think fifteen years of . . . well, call it 'self-guided learning' . . . has pretty well caught me up."
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Post by Jordanna on Sept 8, 2007 22:32:58 GMT -5
Joey winced. "I hear that."
As they wound their way among the bookshelves, some library patrons glanced with surprise or wariness at Daws, and a few traded low mutterings among themselves. Himself completely unselfconscious about being seen with an obvious mutant, Joey glowered back at them.
"I hate your having to deal with this," he grumbled.
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Post by skybright on Sept 8, 2007 22:46:04 GMT -5
Daws shot a challenging gray-eyed stare in the direction of one particularly rude comment, then shrugged. "Yeah, well, I can't say it's high on my list of favorite things, either -- but I've had a lot of practice at dealing with it. And if I let myself get too worked up about it, I'd never get anything done.
"I know who I am," she smiled fondly at Joey, "And who my friends are. Nobody else's opinion matters." Then her grin turned wicked. "Besides, I could beat any of 'em in a fight anyway." She gestured at the nearest row of books. "I think this is where we start looking."
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Post by Jordanna on Sept 8, 2007 22:58:45 GMT -5
"Okay." Joey frowned at the nearest row of titles. "So you want just anything we can find on this guy Rizzo right now?"
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Post by skybright on Sept 8, 2007 23:03:53 GMT -5
Daws nodded. "Him, his nightclub, the crowd he ran with, his disappearance -- anything you can turn up." She shrugged and pulled down a battered volume. "I don't know how much there'll be -- but every little thing might help."
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Post by Jordanna on Sept 8, 2007 23:20:07 GMT -5
With a shrug, Joey pulled down a heavy book about Roaring Twenties New York, and flipped to the back pages.
"I don't even see him mentioned in the index here," he observed. "Rizzo wasn't really much of a bigshot, was he?"
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Post by skybright on Sept 8, 2007 23:22:42 GMT -5
"I didn't get that impression." Daws replied, "Just a smalltime rumrunner with a couple dozen hoods to do his bidding. New York was crawling with 'em, once upon a time."
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Post by Jordanna on Sept 9, 2007 21:32:02 GMT -5
"What a town," Joey murmured wryly, and moved on to the next book.
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Post by skybright on Sept 9, 2007 21:41:11 GMT -5
"You said it." Daws chuckled quietly, leafing through the volume in her hands. Rizzo had earned himself a brief mention in this one -- but there was nothing in the two paragraphs about him that she didn't already know. With a shrug, she replaced the book and pulled down the next one on the shelf.
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Post by Jordanna on Sept 9, 2007 22:00:49 GMT -5
It was nearly half an hour before Joey looked up from the latest book he was browsing through.
"Here's a mention of Rizzo having a feud with some other gangster named Stiglione," he remarked. "Looks like the guy was pushing into his territory. Pretty normal stuff for back then, I guess."
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Post by skybright on Sept 9, 2007 22:12:00 GMT -5
Daws glanced up with interest. "Yeah, it was pretty common. A guy like Rizzo would've had a whole lot of people out for his hide." She frowned thoughtfully. "Any one of whom might've made him 'disappear'. It mention anything else about this guy Stiglione?"
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Post by Jordanna on Sept 9, 2007 22:19:25 GMT -5
Joey shuffled pages and read again. "Not much. Just another small-time bootlegger, I guess... Says here he was gunned down in 1930, so he was around after Rizzo disappeared. That doesn't tell us much."
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